Eastern Himalayas

We created this adventure in less than a month when we figured out it was too dangerous (at the time) to get into Myanmar. It turned out to be one of the best tours we’ve ever done. While that was partly because we had an epic bunch of guys with us (Bear the founder of Old Bike Barn, Mike Vandegriff the epic photographer, Bill the founder of Biltwell and Tyler the founder of Lowbrow Customs) it was also because the roads and the people were so different to what we are used to. This is a truly special adventure that I hope I can share with you.

We head straight to Nagaland where Headhunter tribes ruled the land and no one argued with them. The tattooed faces of the old men, while hardly scary now, hark back to an era of lawlessness and recrimination. We spend time in the village before heading back to Mon and watch the sunset turn the smoke filled sky all shades of red, orange and pink.

Our eyes are transfixed on the looming mountains ahead of us as we spear towards them on the journey north. At the base of the Eastern Himalayas is a national park that has two thirds of the remaining single horned Rhinos as well as Tigers and other exotic, endangered animals. We wake early to catch a glimpse of these prehistoric beasts as the sunrise sprinkles its warmth over their backs.

The rest of the trip is full on motorcycling nirvana through the mountains, with a roads that resemble cooked spaghetti for kilometre after kilometre. The bikes start to wheeze as we climb over 4000m (13,000ft) and we keep our eyes peeled for ice on the roads as we ride into Tawang on the border of Bhutan. A Tibetan festival awaits and we take a free day to soak in the culture under the gaze of the warming sun.

A night in an eco lodge before the madness of Guwahati and the flight bound for home. You’ll struggle to remember everything that you packed into 10 days and you’ll long for more adventures on two wheels soon.

DEPARTURE/RETURN LOCATION

Arrive in Dibrugarh, India (catch a connecting flight from Delhi or Kolkata)

Depart from Guwahati, India (catch a connecting flight to Delhi or Kolkata)

TOUR DATES

We don’t have fixed dates for this adventure but it is available for private groups upon request. Please contact us if you have a group that would be interested in exploring this amazingly surreal part of the world.

PRIVATE ADVENTURES

This tour is also available as a private adventure for solo adventurers, a couple, a club or even just a group of mates. This can be any combination of riders, pillions, sidecar passengers or even family in one of our expedition support vehicles. The tour can be shortened or lengthened to suit your desires. Please contact us to discuss your needs.

A complete guided tour with experienced English speaking tour captains Reception at Dibrugarh airport and all transfers by private vehicle Motorcycle rental of a Royal Enfield 500cc including all fuel Backup van with spare parts and a qualified Royal Enfield mechanic throughout the adventure 10 Days / 9 Nights’ twin share accommodation in mid-range hotels (1 night camping) Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner for the entire tour All transportation during special security zone Mechanics with all necessary spare parts Support vehicles to carry all luggage (if riders are injured or feeling unwell they can take a break and jump into our back-up vehicle to relax!) Bottled mineral water throughout the adventure Tea/Chai & snacks en-route Taxation and service charges of local providers Monument entrance fee

NOT INCLUDED

International flights Connecting flights to Dibrugarh or from Guwahati Indian visa (details sent with rider pack) Travel Insurance (compulsory) Special Overland Permission fees for Participants (mandatory) Any damage to the motorcycle must be covered by the rider in full (Optional insurance is available) Personal Expenses Tipping Alcoholic Drinks

NOTE: These prices are based on…

a minimum tour group of 10 people (usually tours are between 10 and 15 people) and…

sharing a hotel room or a tent. (If you’d like your own room/tent then add US$650)

Payment terms: A minimum US$500 deposit must be made at time of booking. Balance payment can be paid in US$ upon arrival or prepaid a minimum of 8 weeks before the tour start date. Payment plans are available.

Additional information

Rider or Pillion

Rider, Pillion

Staying away from the cities, we explore a relatively untouched land where the village is situated on the border of Myanmar. This tribe has thankfully given up is head hunter tradition and welcome the unusual site of foreigners travelling through their village on motorbikes.

We’ll spend a day in a national park and see tigers and single horned rhinos before heading high up through the forests of the lower Himalayas towards a pass that is 4000m high.

Experienced guides will escort you safely through the Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and the Assam regions of East India with a full support crew including mechanics to ensure that you have the best two weeks of your life.

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DAY 1: CONNECT to DIBRUGARH

Catch a connecting flight to Dibrugarh where a Himalayan Heroes representative will meet you. Once everyone has arrived we will drive to Mon and stay overnight in a guesthouse or possibly in tented accommodation. Make sure you have something warm to wear as it can get a bit chilly in January.

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DAY 2: THE BORDER VILLAGE

MON TO LONGWATO MON (70 Kms – 4-5 hours)

After breakfast we jump on the bikes and head to Longest village which sits right across two international borders, India and Myanmar. We’ll walk through the village and see the head hunter tribe and their traditions before heading back to Mon.

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DAY 3: RHINO RUN

MON TO KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK (280 Kms – 7 hours)

An easy but scenic ride along the Brahmaputra River until we get to the national park. Home to two thirds of the world’s single horned rhinos and a tiger sanctuary, it is certainly something special.

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DAY 4: RHINO, ELEPHANT, WATER BUFFALO AND TIGERS

SIGHTSEEING

A whole day to spend exploring the national park amongst some of the world’s most endangered species.

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DAY 5: HEAD TO THE MOUNTAINS

KAZIRANGA TO TAWANG (140 Kms – 6 hours)

We head north into the eastern Himalayas. As we climb in altitude the traffic becomes sparse and the temperature drops.

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DAY 6: LETS EXPLORE

EXPLORE TAWANG (80 kms)

There is some great riding roads in the mountains so we’ll make the most of it by exploring the area.

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DAY 7: IF IT’S GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE DALAI LAMA…

TAWANG TO ZEMITHANG TO TAWANG (180 Kms – 7 hours)

We head further north to the place that the Dalai Lama entered India, Zemithang before heading back to Tawang for the evening.

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DAY 8: MOUNTAIN PASS

TAWANG TO SANGTI VALLEY (160 Kms – 6 hours)

We head to Dirang over the Sela Pass to Sangti Valley. On the way, we stop at Jung to explore a Monpa village and visit the Indo – China war memorial.

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DAY 9: BACK OVER THE BORDER

DIRANG TO GUWAHATI (280 Kms – 7 hours)

Starting early, we take the scenic route to Guwahati via Khalakthang and have a feast to celebrate an amazing adventure. For many, this day will be the highlight of the trip.

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DAY 10: HOMEWARD BOUND

DEPART GUWAHATI TO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

We’ll take you to the airport at Guwahati to catch your connecting flight from Delhi or Kolkata to your hometown.

INSURANCE IN INDIA, NEPAL, BHUTAN, MONGOLIA, MYANMAR and SRI LANKA

In the countries we conduct adventures, commercial insurance on motor vehicles is either not available, or is of questionable value. They are generally worthless in the event one needs to make a claim. Accidents and damages occurring in these countries are usually settled on the spot and can take hours and even days.

Himalayan Heroes offers optional insurance that covers damage to the bike you are riding. The premium is US$200 paid before the tour starts. In the event you damage the motorcycle, the insurance will cap your damage bill at US$200.(A US$200 excess)

3 Scenarios

If, like most of our riders, you do not damage the motorcycle then the total cost to you is US$200.

If, like some of our riders, you put the bike down and damage mirrors, levers, foot pegs etc and the damage bill is say US$120 then you pay the $120. The cost to you is US$320 (US$200 + US$120)

If you have a big off and damage the tank, forks etc and the damage bill is say US$750 then you only pay the $200 excess. The cost to you is US$400 (US$200 premium + US$200 excess).

This insurance is optional so if you would like to carry the risk yourself, you are welcome to. At the completion of the tour, you will be presented with an itemised bill of the damage to the bike. Approximately 50% of our riders do not damage the bikes and of the 50% that do receive a damage bill, the majority of the bills are less than $300. Please send us an email if you’ve got any questions about this if you are thinking about any of our adventures.